Adding one cup of baking soda to the washing machine drum can soften scratchy bed linen, according to cleaning expert and TikTok creator Chantel Mila. In a video from August, Mila shared tips for refreshing bedrooms, recommending the natural ingredient for sheets that feel worse for wear.
How to soften bed sheets with baking soda
The method requires adding one cup of baking soda into the washing machine drum and washing the sheets on a normal cycle. Baking soda can enhance the effectiveness of detergents, help brighten dull whites, and remove unwanted odours from garments.
The natural ingredient softens linen by balancing water pH and removing stiff residues trapped in the fibres. As an alkaline mineral, baking soda helps remove hard-water minerals like calcium and magnesium that cling to fibres and make them feel scratchy.
Additional benefits for laundry and mattresses
Baking soda also breaks down old soap, detergents, and fabric softeners so they rinse away cleanly rather than redepositing onto fabric. It works as a natural deodoriser, removing smells left by sweat, body oils, and dust built up on sheets and mattresses, drawing out moisture and odour-causing particles from fibres.
Beyond bed linen, baking soda can soften towels and clothes. Sprinkling a generous amount on a mattress and letting it settle for a couple of hours before vacuuming helps deodorise it and remove lingering musty smells.
Stain treatment with baking soda
For stained bed sheets, Mila previously demonstrated a stain treatment using half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of hydrogen peroxide in a bowl. Hydrogen peroxide brightens and disinfects clothes. She adds one teaspoon of washing-up liquid to target oil-based stains.
Mix the ingredients into a loose paste, apply to sweat stains with a stiff-bristle brush, and leave to soak for one hour. Afterward, wash the affected clothes on a normal cycle in the washing machine.
